I was a member of Weldon Fire Company (Station 300) in Glenside (where I grew up) for three years prior to buying a house in Erdenheim. Once I was married in 1998, one Monday night in August I stopped by the firehouse and meet Charlie Millar, before I knew it I had gear and pager and was running calls with Flourtown.

My most memorable Flourtown Fire Company event, or fire is…

As for fire, the Lincoln Woods fire was quite memorable, Ed Dingley and I were on the Ladder and when we arrived we laddered the building and then were advancing a 2.5 inch line into the building’s staircase when the collapse occurred. Ed went to help pull our members out of the collapsed appartment, I found a hole in the hallway’s ceiling and stuck the hose up into the loft area to start knocking down the fire, that fire had everyone’s hearts racing! As for a memorable event, the 100th Anniversary events were all great, but the cocktail hour or September 10, 2010 summed up what FFCo is all about – Pride, History, Traditions, and Camaraderie.

What do you like the most about FFCo?

The camaraderie and friendships I’ve made at the firehouse mean the most to me. People always ask me, “Are you on call for several days a week for the firehouse?” And when I answer “no, we go when we are available,” the idea seems foreign to them, but once your a volunteer, you know someone will always show up to help, it’s an unwritten law. I have a lot of fun as a member of the company and I’m proud to be the company’s president, no one takes themselves too seriously, if they do, they certainly will hear about it!

How has Flourtown Fire Company, and the fire service in general changed since you first joined?

Like most things in society the technology that has become prevalent in fire service has changed the game. I remember thinking how are we going to afford a single thermal imaging camera for the company, we now have three, along with laptops in the trucks and this website, everything has benefited from technology and the fire service is no different, the protective gear and technology have really evolved fast.